Don't Be in the Bath When Opportunity Knocks
See You on the Flipside!
Mad man drummer
Bummer
Indians in the summer
With a teenage diplomat
In the dumps
With the mumps
As the adolescent pump
His way into his hat
***
"Frank, are you sure this is what you want?"
"Tre, Dad, call me Tre."
"Okay, Tre, is this-"
"Yeah. Dad, you know how much I hate it there. It's such a waste of time. I'm never gonna use anything I'm 'learning' there."
"But what if this music thing doesn't work out? What are you going to do then? Are you going to have skills to fall back on?"
"Why don't you ever trust me? Why does everyone think I'm going to fail so hard? It's just not fair that no one believes in me and what I want. It's like YOU don't think I can do anything, MOM doesn't think I can do anything and Lori just thinks I'm a perv."
"Okay, okay, Fra- Tre. Look. It's just that being a musician isn't a guaranteed career."
"I know that Dad. I'm not stupid."
"I didn't say that."
"But you thought it. I'm not going to stay in this shithole the rest of my life."
"Of course you're not."
Sigh.
"I'm going to do this. Larry's gonna help me."
"Whatever you feel is right, son. There's nothing I can do to stop you."
"I'm good at what I do."
"I know."
"Really good."
"I know."
***
"Oh, man, Tre, your dropping out?" Jack said, sucking on his reed.
Tre nodded.
"Dude, I'm wasting my time. I don't wanna be here, the school doesn't want me here. You know, I'm taking care of both sides," Tre seated himself at the drum kit.
"Okay. It's not what I'd do," Jack tightened the ligature on his saxophone.
"Well, I'm not lame, like you," Tre said before wailing on the kit, hoping to drive Jack away.
The tardy bell rang and the band class began. It was November and Homecoming was around the corner."Okay everybody," the band director said. "We're going down to the track."
Tre hated marching. He always got stuck with the bass drum because the other drummers thought it was hilarious to watch him try to carry it up and down the hill leading to the football field. As he heaved the heavy drum onto his chest, he felt a tapping on his shoulder. Spinning around, he saw that it was Karen, a clarinet player.
"You're dropping out?" she said in a soft voice.
"Psh, yeah. I'm wasting my time here," Tre said, walking out the back door with her.
"What are you going to do?" She asked.
"I want to move to the Bay Area. There's a really cool music scene happening down there right now."
"Are you going to school there?"
Tre laughed and shook his head.
"It's called dropping out for a reason. Nah. My sister kinda bullied me into taking the GED so I'll be 'equivalent', in her words. It's like, 'equivalent to what'?." He laughed again. She did not.
"When are you leaving? Are you gonna leave us hanging for Homecoming?"
"No. I have to wait until I'm 16, so I'll be here until December."
"Oh." She thought a moment before saying,
"I think you're making the biggest mistake of your life."
"Oh, well thank you for your support." Tre said, looking at her sideways.
Bummer
Indians in the summer
With a teenage diplomat
In the dumps
With the mumps
As the adolescent pump
His way into his hat
***
"Frank, are you sure this is what you want?"
"Tre, Dad, call me Tre."
"Okay, Tre, is this-"
"Yeah. Dad, you know how much I hate it there. It's such a waste of time. I'm never gonna use anything I'm 'learning' there."
"But what if this music thing doesn't work out? What are you going to do then? Are you going to have skills to fall back on?"
"Why don't you ever trust me? Why does everyone think I'm going to fail so hard? It's just not fair that no one believes in me and what I want. It's like YOU don't think I can do anything, MOM doesn't think I can do anything and Lori just thinks I'm a perv."
"Okay, okay, Fra- Tre. Look. It's just that being a musician isn't a guaranteed career."
"I know that Dad. I'm not stupid."
"I didn't say that."
"But you thought it. I'm not going to stay in this shithole the rest of my life."
"Of course you're not."
Sigh.
"I'm going to do this. Larry's gonna help me."
"Whatever you feel is right, son. There's nothing I can do to stop you."
"I'm good at what I do."
"I know."
"Really good."
"I know."
***
"Oh, man, Tre, your dropping out?" Jack said, sucking on his reed.
Tre nodded.
"Dude, I'm wasting my time. I don't wanna be here, the school doesn't want me here. You know, I'm taking care of both sides," Tre seated himself at the drum kit.
"Okay. It's not what I'd do," Jack tightened the ligature on his saxophone.
"Well, I'm not lame, like you," Tre said before wailing on the kit, hoping to drive Jack away.
The tardy bell rang and the band class began. It was November and Homecoming was around the corner."Okay everybody," the band director said. "We're going down to the track."
Tre hated marching. He always got stuck with the bass drum because the other drummers thought it was hilarious to watch him try to carry it up and down the hill leading to the football field. As he heaved the heavy drum onto his chest, he felt a tapping on his shoulder. Spinning around, he saw that it was Karen, a clarinet player.
"You're dropping out?" she said in a soft voice.
"Psh, yeah. I'm wasting my time here," Tre said, walking out the back door with her.
"What are you going to do?" She asked.
"I want to move to the Bay Area. There's a really cool music scene happening down there right now."
"Are you going to school there?"
Tre laughed and shook his head.
"It's called dropping out for a reason. Nah. My sister kinda bullied me into taking the GED so I'll be 'equivalent', in her words. It's like, 'equivalent to what'?." He laughed again. She did not.
"When are you leaving? Are you gonna leave us hanging for Homecoming?"
"No. I have to wait until I'm 16, so I'll be here until December."
"Oh." She thought a moment before saying,
"I think you're making the biggest mistake of your life."
"Oh, well thank you for your support." Tre said, looking at her sideways.